Efficiently managing moving image information recorded on recording media is desired for image capturing apparatuses, such as video cameras, capable of recording captured images on the recording media as the moving image information. Accordingly, for one thing, it has been carried out that particular meaningful positions on data of the moving image information recorded on the recording media is set as sectioning positions or dividing points. Since setting of such sectioning positions can be considered to be the same as attaching marks at the data positions on the moving image information, the setting of the sectioning positions is referred to as marking hereinafter and the sectioning positions are referred to as marking positions.
The marking positions set in such a manner can be utilized in a search at the time of playback of the moving image information. That is, it is possible to access and start playing the moving image information recorded on, for example, a recording medium using a given marking position as a start point.
Meanwhile, conventional image capturing apparatuses are generally configured to perform marking at a data position corresponding to a start timing of recording (image recording) of captured images on a recording media (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-72728).
However, in the configuration of setting only a data position corresponding to the start of recording as the marking position in the above-described manner, marking positions are not set between a start and an end of the recording. For this reason, even in a circumstance where the marking is desired during the recording, the marking cannot be performed for this circumstance. For example, when the duration of a single recording session becomes long, the recorded content is not monotonous but some changes are highly likely to occur therein. If the marking is not performed in response to such changes during the recording, a playback function becomes poor.
Accordingly, for example, a configuration for allowing marking positions to be set manually, for example, through key operations during image capturing is also possible. However, when it is taken into consideration that a cameraperson sets marking positions during image capturing, an inconvenience that the cameraperson cannot concentrate on the image capturing may be caused. In this case, as the duration of one recording session becomes longer, determination of setting of marking positions becomes more difficult for the cameraperson.
Additionally, in recent years, it has been possible to perform edition of moving image information recorded on recording media using image capturing apparatuses and personal computers. The utilization of such edition allows edition to set marking positions at mid-course positions on moving image information recorded during one recording session to be performed. However, such a post-recording edition imposes a troublesome work, which is to perform marking while confirming the content of the moving image information, on users.
Accordingly, the present invention intends to allow marking to be performed while one recording session is underway and to allow, by further advancing this, setting of marking positions to be performed as efficiently as possible. To this end, the present invention allows marking to be automatically performed at appropriate positions according to a status during image capturing without depending on, for example, operations or the like for positively setting marking positions according to users' intentions.